Rhode Island Veteran Receives National VFW Award

Retired colonel continues serving veterans after long Army career

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is proud to announce VFW Life member and retired Army Col. Raymond Denisewich as its VFW Accredited Service Representative of the Year 2017.

The colonel is an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who served 36 years in uniform before being appointed as VFW Rhode Island’s Department Service Officer in June 2016. According to his awards package, he used his personal experiences and leadership skills to successfully implement several best practices that streamlined office procedures, enhanced electronic recordkeeping, and developed and expanded higher-quality training methods. He is a Life member of VFW Post 2812 in Cranston, R.I.

“Colonel Denisewich earned this national honor for his tireless work ethic and commitment to ensuring America’s veterans received the benefits they earned from the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said VFW National Commander Brian Duffy. “Our VFW Service Officers make a huge impact on the lives of veterans every day, and I look forward to presenting him with this national award during the 118th VFW National Convention in New Orleans later this month.”

The VFW’s network of VA-accredited service officers includes nearly 1,950 representatives worldwide. Last year, the VFW helped veterans recoup $7 billion in earned benefits from the VA, which included $1.2 billion in new claims in 2016 alone.